TURAS Camping and 4WD Magazine Issue Nineteen

GEAR - CAMPING - TRAVEL - CAMP COOKING - NEWS - FISHING

THE BUILD#3 job done PIZZA OVENS

THE JOYS OF CAMPING EXPLORING

KYRGYZSTAN

FREE

E-MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2021 - ISSUE 19

PLUS

.LATEST GEAR....

THE ULTIMATE CAMPING SETUP..

A FAMILY’S TRIP OF A LIFETIME... & MUCH MORE

CROSSMEMBERS - ROOFRACKS - DRAWER SYSTEMS - ELECTRIC COOLBOXES

Editorial This issue brings the final episode of our TURAS Landrover Defender build, where we finally have a rejuvenated , expedition ready Defender that is ready for its next 20 years of adventures. We share our experience of adding various new parts including new crossmember, snorkel, drawer system,dual battery system and wheel arches. We also tried to reclaim and recycle as many old parts as we could. This third part also encompasses the kitting out of the Defender for its new camping adventures, adding a great new K9 Roof Rack and Accessories from Eezi-Awn. Tomek and the crew from Land4Travel take us on a fascinating tour of Kyrgyzstan , a landlocked country in Eastern Asia. Our Partners at DARCHE celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the company with a new special edition swag. In our article on the Joys of Camping we reflect on why we go camping and touring in the first place and why this is so good for you. We take a look at the versatile new Dual Battery System from CTEK and

Photo:Nicolas Genoud - Geko Expeditions

also have a follow up piece on the new CTEK CS FREE portable charger now that we’ve been using it for a couple of months.

Having spent so long confined by travel restrictions we also took some time to build a pizza oven and take a look at the history of the humble pizza.

We also had a chance to check out the new ARB Zero Electric Coolbox, a dual zone coolbox that provides fridge and freezer compartments.

Anyways as things start to return to some sort of normality we are looking forward to getting out and about and touring again, we guess you all feel the same way. Perhaps we will see you at Abenteuer & Allrad this year, as this expo, the premiere Offroad Expo is now going ahead on 21st-24th October, the first time it has ever taken place in the Autumn. Take care everyone and we hope you enjoy this issue..

The TURAS team

EDITORIAL TEAM

Russ Ryan Mark O’Toole CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Frith Trish Melody Alison Scanlon Marie Frith Frank Cassidy Tomek Maj

Russ Mark

DESIGN TEAM

Paul

Russ Ryan Mark O’Toole Marie Frith PUBLISHED BY

TURAS Camping & 4WD Adventures Ltd.

Trish

SUBSCRIPTIONS

To subscribe to the free magazine and interim email newsletters, please visit: www.turas.tv/subscribe SALES & ADVERTISING

info@turas.ie

Ali Frank Marie

Copyright © 2020 TURAS Camping and 4WD Adventures Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact: info@turas.ie

You can get in touch with the TURAS team at info@turas.ie or via the contact form on our website.

WWW.TURAS.TV

Landrover Build Part 3

12

Adventures in Kyrgyzstan

Testing a Tyre Nokian Tyres

28 24

50

The Joys of Camping

ToBulgaria

DARCHE Ultimate Camping Setup

56

contents.

Drawer Systems

Choosing a Roofrack

68

30 years of DARCHE

110

76

114

Building a Pizza Oven

Defender Wheel Arches from Bearmach

90

Itchy Feet Overland

100

Latest Gear The latest camping gear

08

200+

pages Full of

outdoor lifestyle

The New ARB Electric Coolbox

146

Camp Cooking With Petromax

128

Abenteuer & Allrad

140

156

Defender Crossmember from Bearmach

Dual Battery Systems

166

contents.

CTEK CS Portable Charger

Reclaim & Reuse with Raptor

180

Undiscovered Locations with Funki Adventures

188 196

& g n i p m Ca r a e G D 4W Every month we bring you the latest and greatest camping and 4WD gear and accessories

A

A.Eezi-Awn K9 Roofrack This rugged modular roof rack systems and over 30 accessories can be configured to suit a mryiad of adventures.

B. Superline Drawer System from Mobile Storage Systems Superline Drawer from Mobile Storage Systems, organise your gear with this eye catching vehicle drawer system.

B

C

C. Mantec Plastic Jobby Snorkel Snorkel Designed for Land Rover Defender 300TDI, TD5 and PUMA vehicles

F. DARCHE Eclipse 270 Awning Providing 11.5m² of cover and available with optional walls.

Providing your campsite with lots of shelter from sun and rain

F

E

D

E. Raptor 2K Bedliner Aerosol More than just a bedliner, RAPTOR is a highly durable and tough protective coating. Use RAPTOR on a variety of surfaces that need a protective barrier

D. Bearmach Defender Crossmember Rugged replacement crossmember for the Land Rover Defender TD5

& g n i p m Ca r a e G D 4W G. DARCHE Panorama 2 Roof Top Tent For the dedicated 4x4 tourer, the Panorama 2 1400 is the ultimate kit for your rig. Its compact design and super-low pack down profile reduces wind drag and overall vehicle height, perfect for lifted vehicles navigating the urban jungle between off-road adventures.

G

H

H.BEARMACH Wheel Arch Flares Extended wheel arch flares for the Land Rover Defender, providing coverage for larger tyre types.

J. CTEK Dual Battery System CTEK, D250SE Charger, with SmartPass 120A Power management system and the CTEK Digital Battery Monitor. Another high tech remote power solution from CTEK

J

I

I. ARB Zero Eleectric Coolbox A powerful, power efficient Dual Zone Coolbox with independently controlled fridge and freezer zones.

PART 3 THE BUILD

3

3

EPISODE job done

D L I U B THE

3 E D O EPIS video NEW

CHECK OUT EPISODE 3 OF THE TURAS LAND ROVER DEFENDER BUILD. IN THIS FINAL EPISODE OF THE BUILD WE PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE DEFENDER BEFORE TAKING HER OUT ON A BEACH CAMPING TRIP.THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THIS PROJECT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS.WE HAVE A DEDICATED MAG COMING OUT SOON WHICH WILL DOCUMENT ALL OF THE WORK COMPLETED ON THIS 20 YEAR OLD DEFENDER.NOW ITS TIME TO GET OUT THERE AND START ENJOYING IT..........

JOB DONE and we love it......

D L I U B THE

1 E D O EPIS y r o t s i h

D L I U B THE

2 E D O EPIS anics mech

D L I U B E TH

3 E D O EPIS e l y t s e lif

TESTING TRACKS

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO TEST A NEW TYRE

Nokian Tyres is known for its high quality and durable tyres In this short feature we discover what is involved in the testing of a new tyre type before it is made available to customers worldwide

T

Putting a Tyre To The Test

he Nokian Tyres story began with tyres that were used all year round. To meet the challenges of the tough Finnish winter, Nokian Tyres invented the world’s first winter tire in 1934. Ever since those early days, safety has been the company’s main priority. Whatever the season, Nokian Tyres wants to ensure that you can trust your tires to get you home no matter what the conditions.

No Nokian Tyres tyre is sent to the roads without vigorous testing, because the team at Nokian Tyres

HIGH-TECH TESTING

Nokian Tyres has a number of advanced tyre testing facilities and test tracks around the world, where each new tyre developed by the company is put through its paces in a very wide variety of difficult conditions. Making a tyre you can trust involves a LOT of testing...

THE HOME know that no amount of computer simulation can fully represent real-life driving situations. By ensuring that its tyres are prepared and tested for every situation, every driving scenario, customers don’t have to and can instead focus on enjoying the ride.

The company recently opened a new state-of-the-art Spain test center that enables year-round

testing of its future summer, all-season and winter tire legends. The focus in the 300-hectare site is on summer and all-season tires and tires with a high speed rating, but winter tires are also tested at the facility to ensure their safety in all conditions.

The location in Spain enables year round testing of summer, all-season and winter tires. In the 300 hectare area there are several test

OF SPEED tracks for dry and wet testing.

The idea behind all this testing is to simulate situations that drivers may encounter out on the roads.

The versatile tracks and modern equipment of the Spain test center enable the team at Nokian Tyres to test tires on wet and dry surfaces, so that heavy rain or intense heat will not bring drivers any surprises. The crown jewel of the test center, however, is

the 7-kilometer-long high-speed oval track that enables testing at speeds up to or even exceeding 300 km/h.

Completed in 2021, the Spain test center is the company’s third testing facility. It complements an existing tyre testing network, which consists of a 700-hectare site in Ivalo, Finnish Lapland and a site

near its Finnish headquarters in Nokia. All of these test centers are investments in one of the company’s core values- to make the world safer.

The Test centre located in Ivalo, is also known as ‘White Hell’ and this is the facility where Nokian Tyres tests its winter tyres rigorously on snow, ice and slush.

Experienced test drivers put the tyres’ performance to the limit in uncompromising tests in order to find the best tyres out of the good ones. If a tyre works under the world’s most demanding conditions it is ready for the road.

As a pioneer in winter tyre technology, Nokian Tyres uses more than half of its R&D spending on

product testing. White Hell is the primary testing venue.

Right from the early stages of development, they test a new tyre in authentic environments in order to ensure flawless performance under difficult, demanding and varying conditions. Authentic testing on ice and snow forms an essential part of R&D work because

a tyre’s properties cannot be optimised only through computer modelling, explains Manager of the Testing Centre Matti Suuripää from Nokian Tyres.

Developing a new tyre is a long process that takes from two to four years. One major trial is practical testing, which directs further R&D efforts until only the best performing tyre remains, tailored for specific winter conditions. Winter tyres need different properties depending on whether they are used in the icy conditions of the north or in the warmer Central European winter.

more reliable winter tyres. Being able to guarantee the safety of the tyres gives drivers peace of mind even on winter roads. If a tyre is tested under the most demanding conditions in the world in Ivalo, it will perform well everywhere, Suuripää adds.

On the Nokia Testing Center, Nokian Tyres simulates almost all driving situations on northern roads. Testing is conducted at Nokia from April to November.

Spreading over an area of 30 hectares, the testing center is constantly being developed to meet the challenges of difficult The purpose of uncompromising conditions as well the demands testing and defying the grip lim- of the future. its is to create even better and

ADVENTURES IN KYRGYZSTAN Tomek & the team at Land4Travel bring us on another overland adventure , this time in Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east.

K

Words and Images : Land4Travel

yrgyzstan is one of the most beautiful and picturesque countries in Central Asia.

94% of its area is mountains, which is why it is often called the Switzerland of Asia.

Surrounded by high snow-capped peaks, the mountain valleys are full of flowers.

Strong Russian influence is still visible here, but the local tra-

The first real Kyrgyz meal in Bishkeku for breakfast go to Chaikhana NAVAT on Fuchika Street

In Tash Rabat, your guide will take you to search for rock paintings

dition is still very much cultivated. While traveling around Kyrgyzstan, you can still meet hunters, hunting with eagles, spend the night in a yurt, try koumiss or learn the technique of weaving felt carpets.

In my opinion, Kyrgyzstan is an ideal country for off-road fun mainly because it is cheap, and secondly, it is the safest and

most predictable country out of all the Central Asian States.

Kyrgyzstan is the most democratic country in Central Asia, although this democracy often ends with a revolution in Bishkek followed by a change of power. Nevertheless, Kyrgyz presidents do not stay in office for decades, as is the case in Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan.

“

Land4travel “taxi” Skazka canyon

A trip to Kyrgyzstan is mainly communing with nature. The best way to get to know this beautiful country is to meet the locals.

You can drive a 4x4 anywhere in Kyrgyzstan and as long as you do not destroy the terrain, no one will pay any attention to you. Most of the mountain roads are gravel roads, often buried

“

by stones and are in themselves challenging for drivers. Similarly to the rivers in the valleys, these roads, in addition to being buried by avalanches, are also flooded during thaws.

Many of the bridges can be broken up by these processes and then fords should be looked for, and in many cases- there are no bridges (and never were)

- only a ford crossing is possible, unless the water level is too high, in which case it is not worth the risk of attempting a crossing. The most common Kyrgyz off-road car is ... a horse, or possibly a UAZ 452 (bukhanka), but all kinds of Toyotas are also common.

Fuel is not expensive in Kyrgyzstan at about 50c a litre, and you should refuel mainly at Gazprom stations (blue logo) or Bishkek Petroleum (green BP logo).

The official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian, and in general, most people don’t speak any other languages.

Police,laws, fines and bribesunfortunately every inhabitant of Kyrgyzstan knows that if stopped by a traffic policeman a bribe must be paid and that’s it. The amount of the bribe depends on the type and size of the ‘ offense’, but if you pay more than 500 1000 som, the police have made a lot of money from you.

Foreigners are rarely detained without a reason - I happened to be detained once for breaking a red light. Most often, the police wait up on the road from Bishkek to IssykKul, Bishkek to Osh and Bishkek to Naryn. Other drivers will warn you that they are “standing” by blinking their lights in

“

“

Tosor Pass, the altitude of 3,960m above sea level did not cause any difficulties for the Land Rovers.

“

warning. Private speed cameras, whose owners share the spoils of any fineswith the Police, have been popular in the country for some time.

The driving style in general is typically horn, horn and horn, whoever has the loudest horn takes priority. It is also worth being resolute behind the wheel, the Kyrgyz people immediately take advantage of any indecision. Traffic outside the cities is not so heavy, and you will notice that most cars on the Kyrgyzstan is not only about horses and mountains, it also has a fascinating history

road are generally not in good condition.

The condition of Kyrgyzstan roads is, let us say, not a reason for Kyrgyz people’s pride While the condition of the main roads M41, M39 or A365 between Issyk-Kul and Bishkek is OK (mainly asphalt), the remaining roads are… poor or very poor.

If there used to be asphalt there at one point, now there are potholes or ruts.

To cross or not to cross?

This bridge is still in pretty good condition.

Our service truck, despite having 4WD drive, was not able to drive everywhere on its own.

Mountain roads are of better or worse quality gravel. The main gravel roads can be like graters that will effectively vibrate your cars down to the last screw.

Roads high in the mountains are often washed by streams that cut them to pieces and often there are also deep ruts, when the rainwater flows in rapid streams along the road.

You can camp in the wild wherever you find a suitable spot.

At worst, at night, you will be woken up by sheep or horses or

Kyrgyz, or all at once together.

You can also choose to sleep in yurts that are set up near the main tourist spots. It is good to try to reserve a place in these yurts in advance, because it can be busy. A night camping in a yurt costs around 800 som.

This is not a country for vegetarians. The tables are dominated by lagman and samsy, beshbarmak, kurdak and pielmieni ... For a European, the most spectacular will be beshbarmak, or “five fingers” - it is a mix of

pasta and mutton or horse meat, drenched in fat and meat broth.

Everything eaten with one hand, without the use of cutlery.

Lagman is a soup with a piece of fried meat, a large amount of vegetables, potatoes, carrots, peppers and tomatoes.

This is the dish that Kyrgyz people eat most often and of course comes with a lot of fat. Samsa is a baked bun with chicken meat and fried onions. The price of one bun is around 50 som.

Kurdak - in my opinion the best Kyrgyz dish - fried beef, horse or mutton, highly seasoned and served with lots of fried and fresh onions, potatoes and paprika.

At every bazaar and every roadside car park, you can also try

lamb shashlik, not one of my favourites. And to drink? Buy a Kyrgyz watermelon, definitely the best thing for hot weather.

At the end of July and beginning of August they are the cheapest because they are grown in Kyrgyzstan. If you ask for a small

Kol-Suu - this time full of water, getting there is a very emotional experience

Some people snore loudly :)

countries who competed with watermelon, expect something around 6 kg and trust me, it will each other in over 70 sports disciplines. We saw hunting with definitely be tasty and sweet. dogs, hunting with eagles and falcons, wrestling, archery and Let me share a recent trip to this wonderful country with you. a very spectacular bun - boru, a competition similar to handWe reach Bishkek - the capital of Kyrgyzstan - after more than ball, where instead of a ball you 10 hours of flight (with Turkish play with sheep carcasses, and the players ride horses instead Airline). of running on the dance floor. large grassy field. Although it is For the first night we choose only about 400 km, the journey the northern side of the salt to the ChoponAta area will take lake IssykKul, with an area of ​​ a whole day. over 6,280 km². On the way there, we drive through the area On the way to Karakol - a town where the 3rd World Nomadic Games took place 3 years ago. located at the foot of TienShan, we pass popular holiday resorts A biannual event during which situated on the northern shore we had the opportunity to see over 3,000 competitors from 80 of the lake. None of them re-

semble charming, neat, western-style resorts. But by eastern, post-soviet standards, yes, that’s beautiful!

There are plenty of hot springs and trekking paths in Karakol.

Some of them lead very, very high. One of the most beautiful places in the Park is Ala Kul Lake - the route to it leads along rushing rivers, extremely green gorges, high mountain passes (3900 m above sea level), hot

The Kyrgyz people never get off the horse ... never

alpine springs of Altyn Arashan ... We then drove to Ak Suu, and there . wait for those who want to go on a mountain hike.

From the Park, along a difficult and demanding route through the 4000 m high Tosor Pass, we head towards the next place that should be on the bucket list of every traveler to Kyrgyzstan - Lake SongKol. It sits at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level, in the Karatal-Japyryk Nature Reserve, and the lake itself is accessible to tourists only in the summer. For 200 days a year, the lake and the road leading to it are completely covered with snow and out of reach for tourists. In summer it turns into a peaceful oasis. There are no hotels, hostels or restaurants around the lake. Only peace and amazingly beautiful nature are guaranteed on your visit.

The next point on our expedition route is the periodic KolSuu lake located near the Our expedition kitchen table

In Kyrgyzstan, an invitation to a yurt is not unusual

This bridge on the way to KolSuu was also very solid

Wild camping - a litle piece of Kyrgyzstan all to ourselves

Chinese border. Just getting there will provide you with a lot of adrenaline. The bends on the way to the lake are very challenging, and finally arriving at the lake is a very emotional experience.

We will end the trip in Bishkek, on the way there, passing through Tash Rabat - the 15th

century caravanserai located at an altitude of 3200 m above sea level and the picturesque MELS Pass - named after the gentlemen - Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.

If we are lucky, we might catch a real Kyrgyz wedding in our final base in Bishkek!

The bridges in the Naryn valley are very picturesque

Kyrgyzstan is open and it is one of the countries that I heartily recommend to anyone. Regardless of whether they like to ride a motorcycle, horse, bicycle or car. Remember: Kyrgyzstan is warm, dry and cheap. At least in summer and early fall.

trip brings new discoveries and new wonders. A 4WD is a neccesssity to properly explore the country and though sometimes driving there can be nerve wracking , we can without hesitation recommend it as a destination to explore.

Kyrgyzstan is a fascintating country to visit , and each new

We are commencing our next trip to Kyrgyzstan on August 28.

For more information: land4travel.com sp. z o.o.

80-452 Gdańsk ul. Kilińskiego 5c/24 NIP 731-20-67-006 Tomek - tel. +48 603 499 338 email: info@land4travel.com

7 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT KYRGYZSTAN The current population of Kyrgyzstan is: 6,483,160, the area of ​​19,800 km², population density 32.66 p / km² The area of ​​the Tien Shan mountains covers more than 80% of Kyrgyzstan The temperature difference between the warmest and the coldest place is 70 degrees Celsius Only 36% of residents live in cities On the Kyrgyzstan flag there is a symbol of the sun with 40 rays, denoting 40 Manas clans Osh - the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan is over 3000 years old The seat of the President of Kyrgyzstan is called the White House

THE JOYS OF CAMPING

5

D

uring our recent and very strange times, camping has become more popular than ever as a pastime and as a vacation option given its outdoor nature and the benefits this brings in terms of being a safer option until Covid-19 is finally defeated.

However ,camping has always been good for you and the benefits to the body and mind from a camping trip are many.

to rediscover time, and to live in the moment a little bit more than we are accustomed to. Of course camping takes place in the open air with scents of campfire cooking of growing plants and flowers all around, a feast for the senses compared to a normal day in the home or office. And when that food has been cooked it tastes delicious, food somehow always seems to taste better outdoors.

Of course camping can also be an opportunity to unplug and Sometimes it’s just too easy to get caught up in a routine sched- get off the grid at least for a little while (even if you do cheat ule, where almost on autopilot, we move from task to obligation later on with a Netflix movie in the tent). Camping provides to task without taking any time a focussed opportunity for us out for ourselves to pause and to chat with our families and reflect. friends as our days are shorn of distractions. Camping is a physCamping can provide an opporical activity which requires more tunity to break your routine,

More & more people are rediscovering the joys of getting out into nature..

effort and movement than may be required of us on a normal day indoors, perhaps collecting firewood, setting up and taking down camp gear, tents and camping furniture, when camping you are active by necessity, but this activity is part of the enjoyment.

Camping with kids is great fun and is also great for kids development, helping them to learn new skills, to become aware of a world outside of their iPad or YouTube videos, where there are new tasks, challenges and rewards to be sought and won.

Some academic studies have even shown that a few days spent outdoors camping can help to reset our biological clocks and allow our bodies to readjust to the natural day/night , light/dark cycle rather than being dominated by a synthetic cycle of daily timetables and artificial lights.

Another thing that we at TURAS have learned about camping, is that the more of it you do, the more you enjoy it. We encourage you all to have a happy, safe and active summer’s camping and touring.

the ultimate

CAMPING

SET UP FROM

F

or us this is one of the most exciting parts of the build, choosing our roof top tent, awning and accessories.

You really should take your time before deciding on what camping set up might suit your needs the best. For us, our set up needs to cater for a young family but will also be used for last minute fishing trips away with the lads. Having good shelter is a really important part of our set up, particuarly when camping with the kids. And havng a set up that is fully integrated where you have walls on your awning, and being able to travel from your roof top tent all the way to the far side of your vehicle without getting wet on a rainy night just makes for an awesome set up.

Darche in our view have some of the best products on the market and now in their 30th year they continue to innovate and maintain a quality that really is a step above most of their competitors Let’s take you through what has put the icing on the cake for us on this Land Rover Build.

the

ULTIMATE set up

DARCHE 270 ECLIPSE AWNING A key aspect of our finished Land Rover Build is the requirement for sufficient sheltered space on our camping trips, and for this we needed an extensive awning with walls.

DARCHE have in recent years taken the concept of an enclosed walled awning to an entire new level with the launch of the Eclipse 270°Awning.With over two years in development and now available in worldwide the Eclipse 270° Awning is a class leading design that stands out when it comes to innovation and the sheer amount of space that this awning with its walls attached covers.Constructed and engineered to specifically suit Australia’s rugged touring conditions these awnings are made from top quality materials.

The eye catching DARCHE Eclipse 270° Awning has definitely reached new heights when it comes to providing optional walls and a very generous sheltered space.The Eclipse 270° Awning will have you and the kids more than covered from unexpected showers and from those hot sunny days

Panorama 2

ket but it does come with an annex and you are also paying The roof top tent is probably the most prominent feature of for a high quality touring roof any 4WD touring setup, and of top tent that offers a superior build that is associated with course, it is the primary shelall Darche products. One of ter for those wet and windy or warm and balmy nights. A the unique selling points of this rooftop tent is that it feakey component of the TURAS Land Rover Build the DARCHE tures a zippered sunroof for stargazing. We have used this Panorama 2 is not the cheapfeature a lot during the recent est roof top tent on the marhot spells this summer and we love the idea of being able to unzip the roof and star gaze on a clear hot night, not only does this option allow you and the kids to study the milky way but it also allows for additional airflow on those hot nights.

1.A fully integrated set-up 2. The tilted pole memechanism

on the 270 Eclipse awning gives a a whopping 20.5m2 of sheltered area. 3. The Eclipse Retreat Annex simply suspends from your awning and lets you easily convert your awning into an additional shelter that can easily sleep up to four people.

ENGINEERED FOR

e r u t n e v d A

d e t a r g e t n i y l a ful

SETUP

Canvas

The tent’s 340 GSM proofed Poly Cotton Ripstop canvas is hard wearing and is guaranteed to keep you dry in wet conditions. The aluminium checker plate base, frame lugs and compact centre pivoting yoke, provides exceptional strength and this is another feature that sets this tent apart from others on the market. Also the Re-engineered baseboard incorporates a new honeycomb filling reducing condensation build up under mattress, insulating and energy absorbing, and has a high strength to weight ratio and all developed to be durable, non-delaminating and non-corrosive.

Eclipse Retreat Annex

The Eclipse 70° awning provides a lot of sheltered area for your campsite, which is great, but depending on who you are camping with or where you are camping it can sometimes feel a little too open, this is where the versatile Eclipse Retreat Annex comes in, it simply suspends from your DARCHE 180° or 270° awning and lets you easily convert your awning into an additional shelter that can be used as a dining room, for storage or as a protected quarters that can easily sleep up to four people.

The Retreat’s clever design is integrated with the Eclipse 180 and 270 awning walls giving a whole new dimension to your set up. For awnings manufactured before November 2020, attaching the Retreat requires drilling two small holes into the awning arms and that’s it. The Retreat comes with 4 generous side ‘D’ doors with mesh and a

vehicle access door. By rolling up all openings you can quickly convert this space to a generous mesh enclosed room . The clever yet simple design allows you to use the Retreat in conjunction with the Eclipse awning walls giving you extra protection. You can also use the large front roll up door and this can double up as an awning . This Annex is a great addition to the final TURAS Land Rover Build.

Made from a 210 Denier ripstop Polyester Oxford fabric, it also comes with a durable removable 600gsm welded PVC bucket floor, pegs and a carry bag included.Like all DARCHE products this is premium quality and comes with a three year warranty. For more information on the Retreat Eclipse Annex, click here.

no electronic devices

NEEDED

DRAWER SYSTEMS

O

ver the years we have become well aware that storage and preparation for camping trips can be a daunting task particularly when trying to decide what to bring, where to put it and most importantly how to find it quickly when you need it in a hurry. For us, too many bad experiences have helped us fine-tune what we believe now makes our 4WD camping trips a much more enjoyable, comfortable and functional experience, though there is always room for improvement. Our storage solutions now basically incorporate using the high quality, dustproof and light Aluboxes along with the use of a storage drawer system in the back of the 90. In recent years, we have been using a homemade wooden drawer system, with sliders and marine carpet providing a protect-

ed cover. As part of the TURAS Land Rover build we are delighted to say that we have upgraded to a kick-ass drawer system that also just happens to look the business. Now don’t get me wrong, the homemade drawer system did the job for a while, but after a few years it just started to cease up and fall apart and needed to be replaced. So, after lots of research and eventually teaming up with the UK-based Mobile Storage Solutions we now have what we believe is the perfect solution that fits our needs.

Introducing the eye-catching Superline Drawer.

The Mobile Storage Systems Superline Drawer is fitted with extremely heavy duty, full extension runners that are rated at 160kg. This means that these drawers have a smooth sliding system that are built to stand the test of time. Support beams are placed across the drawer allowing for heavy gear to be

Place the cardboard cut out with the pre-marked holes into the back of your vehicle and drill accordingly.

stored on top of the drawer without affecting the drawer’s functionality. Weighing in a 42Kg the Superline has also been designed with a reinforced drawer floor and this gives the drawer more rigidity, increasing its strength and reliability.The drawer is also installed with a high quality and very secure, SouthCo locking paddle latch. This can be key-a-liked to other products if necessary. Additionally, there are two holes where you can attach padlocks for added security and peace of mind. The offset includes a lockable ‘Space Saver Door’. This creates a very useful space beside the drawer as well as the drawer being able to fit up to the rear door and not interfere with the door mechanism. For us carrying lots of camera equipment on treis this gives extra security and peace of mind.

The Mobile Storage Systems drawers are built in the UK

Installing the drawer system is a breeze with the standard drawer systems having pre-installed hexserts. This means that there are no more spinning bolts resulting in the drawer being able to be installed by just one person. The Mobile Storage Systems team can also customise your drawers, we went for the red and black colours

FULL EXTENSION RUNNERS THAT ARE RATED AT

160KG.

BUILT STRONG

which we think look the business.

Key features include; a strong MIG welded construction and full extension accuride ball bearing runners, for more information on dimensions give the team at Mobile Storage Systems and they will give you some expert advice. We will report back in the next issue on how we are getting on with the new drawer system, one thing that is for sure is that it is certainly a huge improvement as to what was there in the past.

Established nearly twenty years ago Mobile Storage Systems has been a market leader in high quality, hand built storage and security products for the Land Rover Defender and Discovery. Mobile Storage Systems offers a wide range of innovative systems that are all finished to a very high standard

“A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE”

Superline Load Area

STORE DRAWER

a g n i s o o h C

ROOFRACK r u o y s t i u s t tha

D W 4

We have previously had a few different roof rack systems on the Defender, but they lacked space and could be difficult to attach different bits of gear to and also difficult to reconfigure when we had changing requirements for what we needed to carry on the roof.

Therefore some of our requirement for a new roof rack includes, storage capacity, ease of configurability and range of configuration options, ease of use and reliability, with all this in mind and following some research and consultation with Phill and the team at APB Trading Ltd. we decided that the

Eezi-Awn K9 Roof Racks & Accessories system was the perfect match for all of our requirements.

The K9 roof rack system from South African Company Eezi-Awn represents a state of the art advancement in expedition style roof rack design.

All K9 roof racks are designed and manufactured at Eezi-Awn’s own production facility and with over 36 years experience in designing roof racks for the expedition and overland markets across the globe, the team at Eezi-Awn knows what is necessary

The K9 design is engineered and manufactured at the Eezi-Awn facility in South Africa. With over 36 years of experience in the expedition market

across the globe.

in a rack and also what features will help to take it to the next level.

One thing that is instantly apparent about the K9 system is that the system is thinner, stronger, more functional,more aero dynamic and more robust than other systems on the market. The low profile appearance is very distinctive and the designs are very well thought out and easy to understand and to install.

Eezi-Awn currently produces 4 different types of rack, a Toyota Revo specific system, Ford T6/7 specific model, a Universal ‘slide in foot type’ and a ‘removable foot type track’ that makes the k9 rack very easy to be removed leaving just the track on the vehicle.

Whether you are planning a serious expedition, family trip, an outdoor excursion or just want the vehicle to look the part the K9 rack should be your rack of choice.

9 K ROOFRACK

S E I R O S S ACCE

TABLE & slide The Eezi-Awn K9 table slide is lightweight and manufactured of steel and is black powder coated.The kit comes complete with a retainer catch and mounting bolts. The table fits underneath the roof rack and slides neatly into rails that secure it in place, the rails are lined with marine carpet to ensure the table does not get easily scratched or corroded.

This setup ensures that your camping table is quickly and easily accessible at all times, it’s a great use of space underneath your roof rack that would otherwise likely be wasted space.

K9

K9

ALUBOX t n u o m y tra The Eezi-Awn K9 Roof Rack AluBox Mount is a secure way to mount your AluBox to your K9 Roof Rack System. This quick fit system allows you to securely clamp a variety of Alu-box sizes to your roofrack without the fuss of tying or strapping it in place, and allows quick and easy access to your Alu-Boxes and their content.

This tray can hold a variety of Alu-Box models, compatible sizes include 42L, 60L, 67L, 73L, 74L, 115L, and 120L.

JERRY CANr Eezi-Awn K9 Single Jerry Can Holder.

This unique lockable design holds one 20L jerry can and folds flat into a 60mm high flatpack when travelling without the Jerry can fitted. This is another well thought out, well designed and easy to use accessory for the K9 Roof Rack System.

Never have range anxiety again with a handy can full of reserve fuel securely stored on your rack.

K9

holde

SHOWERm ar

Eezi-Awn K9 Shower Arm The Foldable shower arm accessory for the K9 Roof Rack System extends 650mm past your roofrack and simply clicks on and off.

You can mount your own shower and it can be used at the back or side of the rack and is anothe versatile module of the K9 Roof Rack system.

Building & cooking in a

WOOD FIRED PIZZA OVEN

HISTORY OF WOOD FIRED

OVENS

Believe it or not, Pizzas have a long history, Pizza-like flatbreads with savoury toppings have been around since ancient times in Greece and ancient Italy. But the modern Pizza was born in the south west of Italy in Naples in the late 18th century.

The main evolution of these flatbreads with savoury toppings was the specific use of tomatoes as a topping, with a tomato base added to these flatbreads, the pizza was born. According to Italian state archives, by 1807 there were already 54 pizzerias in Naples, and by the end of that century there were over 120.

Pizzas have evolved a lot since then and have become very popular across the world, with a variety of different toppings resulting in a wide variety of taste sensations, from the ‘Hawaiian Pizza’ (topped with pineapple and ham, invented in Canada in 1962) to the ‘Chicago Pizza’ a new ‘deep-dish’ style pizza developed in Chicago in the 1940s.

One thing most people can agree on is that pizzas are delicious. But there is one thing.. pizzas ‘are’ delicious but they are even more so when cooked in a proper pizza oven (and taste even better when enjoyed outside).

Pizza Ovens- brick or stone ovens, fuelled by wood have also, naturally, been around since ancient times. Depending on how much pizza you plan to cook, there is a design of oven suitable for your needs

ly reflected internal heat and creates a more effective flow of internal hot air, giving a hot oven with very few cold spots.

Though other styles of oven such as square or rectangular ovens, or square or rectangular ovens with arched roofs are also used.

We recently added a domed pizza oven to the TURAS Petromax Kitchen, built over a reinforced concrete base, modular arched bricks were combined to create an impressive domed oven with a flue and chimney which was then coated in cement mixed A domed style pizza oven has the best heat efficiency for even- with vermiculite (a natural insu-

HARD WOODS

WORK BEST

lating mineral).We have tested it many times in the past couple of months, and well we plan to keep testing it for the foreseeable future (yum). Another benefit of a pizza oven is speed and convenience. In a regular oven, pizza can take between 8 and 15 minutes to bake, but in a proper pizza oven, a pizza can be cooked in only 1-2 minutes (wood fired pizza ovens can reach temperatures of up to 370C).

Wood

Wood that has dried properly will almost always burn hotter than wood that still has moisture in it, basically because much of the heat energy is used to evaporate the remain-

ing water.First of all unseasoned wood will be smoky and will smolder, the experts will also tell you that wood should be cut in the springtime and then stacked in a sheltered area for up to 12 months with some woods like oak taking anything up to 24 months to fully dry out.It is important to note that in general wood burns most efficiently when the moisture content is at 20% or less. Damp wood burns at a cooler temperature, resulting in incomplete combustion and giving out more smoke which is not healthy or enjoyable. use hard wood and not soft wood in your oven. Hard woods get you oven hot and gets the best results.....Happy Cooking

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE OF CLARE FROM TREK OVERLAND GOING THROUGH THE STEPS TO PREPARING AND ATTACHING YOUR DARCHE ROOF TOP TENT

UK DARCHE

SUPPLIERS

A FAMILY PURSUING A

LIFE LESS ORDINARY

LEG 1

LEG 2

IS THE GEAR OF CHOICE FOR THIS EPIC ADVENTURE

LEG 3

F

rom the outside, the BETTS family appear to be a fairly ‘normal’ British family, a family that you could easily imagine doing fairly normal things.. but on closer inspection, you will also find a family that woke up in 2018, in the beautiful Apennine Mountains of Italy, and decided that they wanted to live a VERY different life…. A life that many dream of, but few seldom attempt.

So, just 3 years after that decision, Nigel, Linda and their 17 year old son Oliver, spent the winter of 2020 selling everything that wouldn’t fit into their 23 year old Land Rover Defender and, earlier this year, returned to the UK to prepare for the beginning of the next chapter… their plan to drive the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina, as a family of permanent Vehicle Dependent Overlanders.

Yes, you read that correctly, permanent – it’s an important distinction to make, as they are not just camping in a car, and this is not a belated gap year. They will live permanently in a Land Rover for the foreseeable future. No fall back, no house being rented out… truly independent world travellers.Nigel, after a quarter century within the high pressure world of Formula One Motor Racing, felt ready for a very different pace of life and, thankfully, the family is coming along for the ride! As Nigel explains, “The relentless pace of F1 led me to desire something more out of life - something

more peaceful and meaningful. The new life that we seek, is a life without the suffocating structures and adult responsibilities of modern life - so NO MORE work, eat, sleep, repeat!

We want to live each day in the moment, and hopefully leave the world a little better than when we found it.”Their Defender 130 goes by the name of Mandy and is now a fully kitted out 4 wheeled home, having undergone a full transformation from, in Nigel’s words, “a severely knackered German utility truck found rotting away in Frankfurt” to the super capable vehicle that it is today. Amongst the host of high end off-road and expedition equipment, the vehicle also features an outstanding Darche Outdoor Gear camping solution from Trek Overland in Yorkshire, UK. The set up includes 1.6M Hi View and 1.4M Panorama Roof Top Tents with annexes and a

270 degree Eclipse awning. It seems that they are more than ready for the great outdoors!

The family are now anxiously awaiting International borders to open, but when this happens, they are fully prepared for long term off-grid adventure with on board water, compressed air, and a comprehensive off grid solar power solution from Portable Power Technology.

The Pan American Expedition is the first part of a plan by Itchy Feet Overland to circumnavigate the world within the next decade. They will document their journey on Instagram and Facebook as @ItchyFeetOverland and check out www.itchyfeetoverland.com to learn more about them.

The Land Rover Defender 130 goes by the name of ‘Mandy’

Best of luck to Nigel, Linda and Oliver on their trip of a lifetime.

OG TOUGH D OCK H S L L E C FOAM

OG D H G U O T M A D G N I R STEE

MPER

KINGS S SPRING

Following some consultation with and advice from Euro4x4parts, we decided to upgrade the suspension of the TURAS Defender 90 with the Australian King Springs and the Tough Dog foam cell shocks. Given the permanent extra load at the front of the Land Rover which would have a new winch bumper, Nick from Euro4x4parts suggested the heavy duty URH1068 Kings coils. He also recommended the Kings medium coils URH1027 to the rear as the latter can be pretty uncomfortable if not permanently fully laden.

To complete this setup we would added a Tough Dog ‘return to centre’ steering damper which will improve the overall handling and will help to reduce the standard vague feel of the Defender design.

Load Support For CoilSprung Vehicles To cope with occassional extra load at the back of the vehicle Nick from Euro4x4parts suggested adding a pneumatic suspension kit to our Land Rover Build i.e. the American Airlift 1000 which will allow us to adjust the load capacity according to our needs.They are engineered for rear and/or front coil-spring suspensions. Providing up to 1,000 lbs. of load-levelling capacity*, Air Lift’s air bag kits for 4WD’s, SUVs and vans provide greater safety and comfort when you’re carrying a heavy load.

Each kit includes everything you need to install the system, usually in around 2 hours or less.

• Up to 1,000 lbs. of load-levelling capacity* • Tough moulded polyurethane construction • Air adjustable from 5-35 PSI • Easy installation with common mechanics tools

AIRLIFT

1000

replacing

WHEELARCH

FLARES

WHEELARCH

FLARES

E

ver since we put the Discoverer® STT PRO mud terrains on the Defender in the last episode we realised that the tyres were slightly extended out beyond the standard flares on the vehicle.As it turned out we were since informed by the road regulations authority that this was not road legal and that we needed to put on new flares that were wider than and that fully covered the new tyres.

Every country has different rules when it comes to protruding tyres, so it is best to check the regulations in your jurisdiction before adding new rubber to your 4WD. To be honest we did not want to put on the new flares that seemed too wide as we just don’t like that look. Anyways we did order some new matt black ones from Bearmach and they now cover the STT PROS, we are due a test at time of writing but feel confident that all will be approved. For more details on the selection of Bearmach Wheel Arch Flares, click here.

S

ince 1991, DARCHE has been leading the charge in innovative camping gear for the Australian market.

Celebrating 30 years of outdoor adventure, DARCHE has released a limited edition Dusk to Dawn + range. Each swag is individually numbered, with only 1991 available (across all 3 sizes) to mark DARCHE’s founding year.Stock for this item arrived at the end of June and shipping started in July.

With all of your favourite Dusk to Dawn features, this limited edition swag packs a punch in terms of space and storage with the inclusion of the Hutch® compartment to store your gear. With two external access doors plus the convenient in-swag access panel through to the Hutch®, you can keep your gear dry and access it from inside or outside of the swag. Store your gear bag or your muddy boots away from your sleeping quarters, keep the beer and fire wood dry or even let the dog bunk in!

For those who love the classic Dusk to Dawn design, this anniversary edition features the same full length canvas storm covers on both sides, giving you uninterrupted views from sunrise to sunset, perfect for those campers that want to drift off under starry night views

Setup takes a couple of minutes with two traditional aluminium alloy poles, plus the unique trigger-lock ridge pole. The freestanding design is spacious and gives you plenty of head room to move around.

Featuring DARCHEs original heritage green canvas colour, The Dusk To Dawn + is made from premium 420gsm ripstop polycotton canvas with an impressive PU 800mm water rating.

If you want to get your hands on one of these limited edition swags, send your orders in NOW to your Key Account Manager or place your order via your customer portal on the DARCHE website.

DARCHE – Australian camping products are now available world-wide. DARCHE was founded in Australia 30 years ago by DARREN O’DWYER and his wife CHERYL (DAR-CHE). DARCHE revolutionised the then-traditional swag market with the introduction of the Dome style swag, which is now the most recognised style swag. Today, DARCHE produces a range of camping and 4×4 touring outdoor gear such as Tents, Swags, Roof Top Tents, Awnings, Sleeping Gear, Furniture, Gear Bags and Accessories. DARCHE is overseen by experienced textile product developers and passionate staff who are keen outdoor enthusiasts with sound knowledge and experience to match.

Utilising accredited laboratories and leading processes, all new products are vigorously tested at the Victorian facility and again in real life situations by developers.

“We are passionate, dynamic and keen. We enjoy the same lifestyle choices as our consumers. We strive to provide our consumers the very best value, reliability and service and most importantly we recognise the trust they place on us. We welcome our consumer’s feedback both positive and negative and promise to keep delivering whilst listening. Servicing you, our partners for life”.

Have you seen our first ‘gear special’ dedicated magazine supplement ‘’A Life Outdoors with DARCHE’’.If you are a frequent reader of the TURAS Camping and 4WD e-Magazine, you will no doubt have seen some photos or videos of our team using or demonstrating some awesome

DARCHE products. It goes without saying that we are big fans of DARCHE here at TURAS, this gear magazine takes a closer look at these awesome Camping and 4WD Touring products from DARCHE, you can also check out latest DARCHE vid here.

SNORKEL

A

can improve your engine’s performance. Having had various We have alcheaper type snorkels on the ways had a Landy over the years, mostly the snorkel on the Defender mushroom type ones, they have all pretty much all fallen apart and by havafter a couple of years.On the ing one it has helped us TURAS Land Rover Build we have get to places gone with something a bit differthat we woud probably not have ent, the Mantec plastic snorkel.

Specifically we have gone with been able to reach had we not Mantec plastic jobby snorkel.This had one attached.Snorkels have is the first time we have used a many benefits when off road,inplastic model, having had numercluding allowing you to tackle ous issues with rotting snorkel deeper water, protecting your engine and also giving you addi- heads with previous products we tional route options. And on the are very interested to see how this plastic product will last,we road, snorkels increase the air intake flow to your engine which will keep you posted.

ATTACHING THE MANTEC SNORKEL Attach the metal retaining ring to the bottom of the snorkel Place the snorkel in position and carefully mark the wing for the two retaining bolts.

Atach the windscreen frame using a drill the tapping nuts Put the snorkel in position - guiding it onto the upper mounting bolts, then fit the two M6 phillips screws through the base and into the wing inserts.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

C I R T C E L E ZERO

X O B L O O C

C

T

here is nothing as enjoyable as having an ice cold drink on a hot day, or having an ice cream in the middle of an arid landscape. Vehicle fridges can be a great solution for keeping your drinks cold and

your food fresh when you are on an extended trip away.

We recently had an opportunity to get out and try the new ‘Zero Electric Coolbox’ from ARB. Designed in Australia to handle the extreme conditions experienced there, ARB Coolboxes are high performance systems,

and this electric coolbox has a temperature range of -22°C to +10°C, giving you the convenience of refrigerated or frozen food and drinks no matter where you are.

The version we tested is the 69L but this range is available in 35L, 44L, 47L, 60L, 69L, 78L and 96L capacities. What can

we say? We love this coolbox.

The 69L variant has two compartments 24 litre and 45 litre, each of which has independent temperature controls and can be configured for example as a fridge and freezer compartment or two fridge compartments or two freezer compartments. The smaller compartment, most likely to be used as a freezer also

comes with a removable internal lid to assist in temperature control. The internal basket system and internal divider wall can also be removed to allow for the full 69L of space to be used as one single large compartment.

Even with the baskets and divider walls in place , tall bottles can easily be stored alongside your food. The temperature can be controlled using the built in control panel or the ARB Zero App which connects to a smartphone using Bluetooth, a boost option is also available for a burst of rapid cooling when required. Power is provided via front or rear 12/24V socket and on the front there is also an AC100/240V socket, providing a variety of options, from connect-

ing to your dual battery system, plugging into an auxiliary battery or cigarette lighter port, or into a mains power supply.

The panel at the front of the coolbox also provides a handy USB 5V port with 3,000mA output, very useful for charging your phone or other devices.

The electronics also provide a configurable integrated battery protection system with shutdown protection for low voltage conditions allowing you to control the level of discharge of the supply battery.

The Coolbox has a detachable and easily reversible lid, which is extremely useful for matching your vehicle configuration and

ensuring access to open and close the fridge is not impeded. We mounted the coolbox over a drawer system using the ARB Fridge Slide and Tie-Down kit. The Fridge slide has a flat mounting base for secure fitment and multi-position latch; the slide enables easy access to the coolbox. Sealed roller bearings prevent dust ingress and incorporate a lock-in, lock-out mechanism to ensure the slide stays in position no matter what angle your vehicle is at. The Tie Down system securely attaches the fridge to the slide hooking into the built in attachments on the front and rear of the slide and attaching to the slide base using tough adjustable straps.

The coolbox has a bright internal LED light which ensures that it’s easy to find what you are looking for in the dark. We love the design of the coolbox, it looks great and is obviously very well made, the lid closes with a pleasing click , the rounded corners and edges look very premium and the top of the lid also provides some recessed cup holders.

We have now had this coolbox on a couple of camping trips and it really has added an element of luxury to these trips, with lots of storage space, configurable temperature zones and the handy boost feature.

We continually had lots of cool

drinks and crispy fresh food and no problems at all with battery life. The fridge slide made accessing the coolbox very easy and the tiedown kit kept things in place even as we moved across some very uneven terrain towards our final destinations. The Zero Electric Coolbox will definitely be a feature of our extended camping trips in the future.

Check out the Rotiiva AT in action..

The Nokian Tyres Rotiiva AT

NOKIAN

The Nokian Rotiiva AT (All Terrain) summer tyre works excellently on asphalt, but it can also be used for light off-road driving.

It offers good durability even on heavier vehicles. The sidewall compound that is exceptionally durable and puncture-resistant contains extremely strong aramid fibres. The same material is utilised by the aerospace and defence industries. The aramid fibre strengthens the sidewall rubber to withstand external impacts and pressing against the wheel flange.

This is a tough and versatile tyre.

N TYRES

OFFERS STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE ON ROADS AS WELL AS OFF-ROAD AGGRESSIVE TREAD PATTERN ENSURES EXCELLENT HANDLING STURDY STRUCTURE, WITH CUT-RESISTANT TREAD

P

eople have been cooking and grilling on open fires for many thousands of years , from early mankind right through the centuries on campfires, fireplace, embers and charcoal.

Of course, over this time the tools and accessories used to cook over a flame have changed and evolved. Of course some designs are so effective for their purpose that the basic design persists and can only be improved upon in terms of quality and attention to detail.

Petromax is a company known for its wide range of high quality products and accessories

for outdoor cooking and food preparation. From grills and cooking plates, to Dutch ovens and skillets, Petromax provides everything that you might need for cooking outside. A great aspect of the product range is that it has all been designed to work together so that different products can be combined with each other to provide a wide range of cooking options.

For example we love using the Atago as a heat source for cooking on a griddle suspended from the Petromax Cooking Tripod , but the Atago itself is an unrivalled all-in-one tool that can be used as a conventional barbecue, a stove, an oven, and

a fire pit and used with charcoal briquettes or firewood. The Petromax Atago can also be used in combination with a Dutch oven or a wok. Because the wok or the Dutch oven placed on top of the Atago is completely surrounded by stainless steel, the heat yield is very high, the Atago also comes with a grilling grate, which serves to transform it into a conventional barbecue.

Regular readers of the magazine will have seen the TURAS team preparing many a delicious meal over a Petromax Setup and we love these products so much that we have created our own permanent Petromax camp kitchen.

Learn more about the range of Petromax Products on https://www.petromax-shop.de/

THE FIRST AUTUMN

EXPO

T

he Abenteuer & Allrad expo is not only the “largest off-road fair in the world” but also the most important 4WD event of the year, covering almost the entire range of the international Offroad touring and camping markets.

With over 350 exhibitors from across the world this event has been one of the most important industry events for many years,

a four-wheel and long-distance travel fair that reflects almost the entire spectrum of the offroad, caravanning and overlanding scene. At the show you can expect to see the most important 4x4 series vehicles, quads, ATVs, pick-ups, as well as camping structures and conversions of expedition vehicles and motorhomes. In addition, there are spare parts and accessories, camp cooking and lifestyle products, the list is endless.

tcher e r t s a n o g a w s a in

Joey Kelly visits ABENTEUER & ALLRAD 2021

As a child and teenager, Joey Kelly traveled with his family through Europe and the USA to earn a living with street music.

In the 1990s, the family became world famous as a pop and folk band under the name “The Kelly Family”.

Today, the musician, extreme athlete and adventurer Joey Kelly has long been a television personality with a wide following and is known, among other things, as a candidate of fun competitions such as the “Wok World Cup” and the “TV to-

tal-Turmspringen”. On October 24th, Joey Kelly will visit ABENTEUER & ALLRAD in Bad Kissingen. Joey will report on the earlier years of the Kelly Family and his seemingly inhuman achievements and experiences as an endurance and extreme athlete,and will also be available for questions, autograph requests and selfies.

For the first time in its long history the Abenteuer & Allrad Expo will take place this year in the Autumn,having been cancelled last year and postponed earlier this year, the expo is now scheduled for 21st-24th October 2020.

We hope that no further impediment to the expo occurs and we are really looking forward to visiting the expo again this year.

We wish the best to the team at Abenteuer & Allrad and pro-log for an amazing show, and if you haven’t been to this expo yet, we highly recommend it, it is always the highlight of the year for the team at TURAS. See you all there..

THE AUTUMN SHOW

21-24 OCTOBER

2021

Nokian Rockproof Nokian Rockproof offers extreme durability for professional driving and off-road enthusiasts. The Nokian Rockproof is a fearless performer at quarries, forests and mining areas.

With extreme cut resistance – more working hours. The new Nokian Rockproof Hybrid mining compound provides the tyre with excellent resistance even in rough offroad conditions.

Better durability. Stone ejectors prevent sharp stones from attaching to the tyre’s tread surface and penetrating the tyre structure.

Durability and protection. The sidewall compound includes extremely durable aramid staple fibre. The fibre makes the tyre more resistant to impacts and cuts that could otherwise easily damage it

fed up re-welding your rear end?

TIME TO REPLACE THE

CROSSMEMBER

S

o what So is a Crossmember? well according to wikipedia it’s a structural section that is transverse to the main structure. In the automotive industry, the term typically refers to a component, usually of steel, usually boxed, that is bolted across the underside of a monocoque / unibody motor vehicle, to support the internal combustion engine and / or transmission. For the suspension of any car to operate as it should, for proper handling, and to keep the body panels in alignment, the frame has to be strong enough to cope with the loads applied to it. It must not deflect, and it has to have enough torsional strength to resist twisting.

On the 90 we have been patching up the original factory crossmember for the last six years, so we got approximately 15 years out of the original one, which is not great really but I guess the 90 has spend a fair bit of its life driving up and down beaches, tackling muddy tracks do doing what it was built for, so all these combined have taken their toll on the rear end. So why are they known to deteriorate on Defenders, well guessing that the design of them lends to the accumulation of mud, sand and water with

1.No more patching ,time to replace 2.You should get an experiemced welder to do this job.

3.The fuel tank

poor drainage etc and over the years it is a recipe for deterioration. It had gotten to the stage on our 90 that we could no longer keep patching up the crossmember and it just was not safe for towing and recoveries etc and so it was time to replace it with the Bearmach offering. We went with the Bearmach Crossmember that has the short extensions as the rest of the chassis was thankfully in pretty good shape.

Changing the Crossmember is a pretty big job and should be done by somebody who knows what they are doing. The last thing you want is to make a welding mistake and cut your chassis in the wrong place, ideally you need a competent welder who has the right equipment and preferably has experience in doing similar jobs.

So what’s the process?

First of all make sure the vehicle is stationary with the handbrake secured etc.and always wear protective clothing and goggles, even if just assisting on the job.You should also make sure that your vehicle does not have much fuel in it as

you will need to remove the fuel tank.

Also be prepared to shear off some of the older bolts. When the fuel tank is out store the tank in a safe place. Also don’t forget to disconnect the wiring loom. Mark out very carefully where you will be cutting the chassis as you need to make sure that the new Crossmember fits well for welding, they don’t stretch!!!! Check double check and double check, don’t panic though as the tabs on the new Bearmach crossmember will overlap enough to give you some peace of mind.

After you remove your old crossmember you will be amazed with the amount of crud that they accumulate over the years, ours was actually a lot worse than what we expected. The Bearmach Crossmembers are designed to neatly fit into place, you have the option to hammer out the edges a bit should it be too tight but it should be fine. Take your time when aligning up the Crossmember, you may have to bang it into place in order to get it right. Weld it tight and that’s it!!!! What a joy to see a new rear end.For more information on the range of Bearmach Crossmenbers click here.

LOVING

THE NEW REAREND

EUROPE’S NUMBER 1

ONE STOP SHOP

FOR ALL YOUR 4WD PARTS

& ACCESSORIES

Check out RAPTOR’s tough Protective Coating ithat provides surfaces with a protective barrier that can withstand the toughest situations.Now available on the euro4x4parts website Check out the video showcasing the euro4x4parts Soft Shackles. Soft Shackles have started to get very popular in recent years as they are now seen as a safer alternative to hard shackles.

e h t n ere o k cliicdeo h v

e h t n ere o k c cliideo h v

DUAL BATTERY

SYSTEM

D250SE & SMA

A

s a part of our Land Rover Defender build, we also needed to upgrade our Dual Battery System, requiring a modern system that could charge our second/leisure battery and also ensure that the starter battery is also protected and maintained, that would allow us to use either 12V lead acid batteries or lithium batteries and that could also provide battery and charge status information.

Our partners CTEK are the leaders in battery charging technology and so this choice did not require much analysis, we decided to go with the CTEK, D250SE Charger, with SmartPass 120A Power management system.

The D250SE is a fully automatic, 5 step charger that supplies up to 20A of power to any 12V lead-acid or lithium service battery from 40– 300Ah. It has selectable charge algorithms for AGM and lithium batteries and can use power through its dual input from alternator and solar

ARTPASS 120S

panel. When the service battery is fully charged, the D250SE will ­automatically redirect maintenance charge ­power to the starter battery. The D250SE can maintain a stable output up to 20A to vehicles fitted with smart ECU controlled ­alternators and also has a temperature sensor for ­optimised charging, regardless of weather conditions. ) 12V lithium batteries (LiFePO4, Li-Fe, Li-iron, LFP) Smartpass 120S is a 120A Power Management Solution which distributes, controls and maximises the available energy from your alternator to power service batteries and consumers. SMARTPASS 120S handles all 12V batteries between 28-800Ah. The Smartpass 120Ss Battery Guard function ensures that critical equipment such as radio, emergency lights and navigation systems always have power and take priority when the voltage on the service battery is low, disconnecting non-critical consumers.

The unit’s Battery Guard will protect your service battery from total discharge and built in over

ALWAYS HAVE RELIABLE POWER ON THE ROAD WITH CTEK CHARGERS AND POWER MANAGEMENT WSYSTEMS

A 0 2 1 K CTE tallation s o ind vi e D250SE & SMARTPASS 120S

temperature protection reduces charge current before the battery temperature gets too high.

SMARTPASS 120S is compatible with the D250SA and D250SE 20A on board chargers.

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In recent years, the focus of the expanding Trek Overland team has evolved into becoming a retailer of high quality 4WD touring equipment which now includes the premium and very popular Australian DARCHE range of camping and overlanding related products. Now the sole UK distributors, click here for more information.

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ENT - LAND ROVER & 4X4 SPECIALISTS

RECLAIM

&thREUSE wi

A

s an important part of the restoration of the TURAS Land Rover Defender, we treated some parts of the vehicle and its accessories with RAPTOR 2K Bedliner. This protective surface can toughen your vehicle components and surfaces and bring them back to life and also looks great. RAPTOR’s tough Protective Coating is a urethane coating that provides surfaces with a protective barrier that can withstand the toughest situations.

Ideal for spot repairs and jobs on your vehicle the RAPTOR 2K Bedliner is highly coating that also looks the business when applied.

You can spray the RAPTOR 2K Bedliner on a variety of surfaces that need a protective barrier that withstands the toughest situations.

The beauty about using this product is that you don’t have to have previous experience in spraying a vehicle in order to use it.

The durability of RAPTOR with the convenience of the aerosol now makes it easy and simple to use once the valve on the base of the aerosol is activated. This valve feature allows you to get a textured “gun” finish without having to purchase specialised spray equipment, making it ideal for both those of us who want to tackle smaller spray jobs on our vehicles and of course for professionals in garages etc.

Before applying the 2K Bedliner we applied RAPTOR 2K Anti-Corrosive Epoxy Primer which is a high performance primer aerosol specifically designed to be used under RAPTOR Protective Coating to further extend the protective and anti-corrosive properties of RAPTOR. The advanced resin technology in RAPTOR Anti-Corrosive Epoxy Primer improves adhesion to bare metal and most other prepared surfaces. It contains a blend of anti-corrosive additives to inhibit rust and corrosion.

We think that these products combined really helped to rejuvenate the Defender and have provided a new durable coating for some of the more aging surfaces as well as providing a strikingly attractive new appearance. Both products are Developed

by UPOL and are sold by euro4x4parts

Both RAPTOR 2K Anti-Corrosive Epoxy Primer and RAPTOR 2k Bedliner Aerosols are manufactured by UPOL and are available for order online via Euro4x4parts and in the UK via Trek Overland

I WANT TO BREAK (CS) FREE

A

s a rule, one of the things I love about packing up my kit into my Landy and heading off for a long weekend’s wild camping is that it presents the perfect opportunity to properly get away from it all, the day to day humdrum of the school run and the hassles of work and enable me to re-connect with nature and recharge my batteries.

However, as much as I try to kid myself that this tech free ideal is always the norm on a trip, in truth, increasingly (especially when I’m accompanied by my teenage children), it often requires my needing to not just recharge my own ‘batteries’ but those on a couple of teenagers mobile phones and from time to time admittedly my own camera.

And it’s here that the latest innovation from the clever folk at CTEK really comes into its own - the CS FREE portable charger and the solar panel charge kit accessory.

Check out my short film on the CS FREE on the next page, it shows the adaptive boost capabilities of this product as it easily re-started my Land Rover Defender from a completely flat battery in under 15 mins, you’ll already appreciate the peace of mind this unit can deliver when you’re out in the middle of nowhere and the worst happens and you find yourself with a flat battery.

However, it’s far more than just a smart starting device as it has both USB-C and USB-A charging ports on it as well. This means that my kids can happily re-charge their mobile

phones to their hearts content (whilst struggling to find a signal ) and I can also snap away with my camera unconcerned about being conservative with usage safe in the knowledge that I’ve a safe and secure way of keeping everything charged and not going to frustratingly run out of charge just as the Moon rise crests that ridge line in the distance and presents you with a perfect photo opportunity.

Now although the unit can hold charge for up to a year once fully charged so it’s already ready for when you need it, I’ve found the solar panel accessory you can also purchase as an added extra invaluable and allowing even more peace of mind. The two tough fibre glass and waterproof panels come in their own handy carry case which when folded down measuring in at just 2cm deep and 42cms x 54cms and weighing just 4kg

means they’re really easy to pack away. And the case comes with well-placed durable clips that means when opened up it doubles as a handy stand.

I’ve been really impressed with the performance too, with them recharging the CS FREE unit in just over an hour in the bright sun, and even on a cloudy day (handy in an English summer!!) they still deliver plenty of charge.

I’ve tended to use the solar panels nearly all the time once I’ve pitched camp, setting them up on the bonnet of my Landy to keep the CS FREE unit charged up and able to then charge my tech off it safe in the knowledge that the incorporated safety box means only exactly the right amount of power is delivered protecting the battery and any devices from any excess voltage and ensuring that the unit itself remains fully charged all the time.

C V

E E R F CS EO Review VID

As much as I do love to properly ‘break free’ at times and get off-grid, I find CS FREE combined with the Solar Panel Charging Kit means I really can do so for as long as I like whilst still allowing me the comfort that there’s always a reliable power source there if I (or more often my kids phones), need it.

WWW.OFFROAD

D-MONKEYS.DE

During the past year, our International customers were unable to visit and enjoy the massive playground of the Western States.

We took this time to find new routes, more ‘undiscovered’ locations and additional epic routes.

If visiting a Wild West Ghost Town is not on your bucket list, it really should be. Panamint City is one of these towns which is so remote, getting there involves driving on a dirt road followed by a few hours hike through the hills adjacent to Death Valley, to reach it - there are no roads in or out. Spend the night in one of the original miners cabins, then hike back to your Jeep or Adventure Van to continue a trek through the deserts, Sierra Nevada Mountain range and through to the Sequoia National Park.

For 2022 we are scoping out some famous movie filming locations, specifically scenery where movies such as Star Wars, The Avengers and countless westerns were all filmed.

For those who are not overly interested in movies or history, we’ve developed some amazing trip plans which will take you through stunning scenery, travel a number of great off road routes and have you camping in awe inspiring locations.

We’ve even incorporated stops at a few wineries, thrown in a few cool activities like zip lining, hot air ballooning and of course options to do some California surfing and kayaking.

Each tour is custom designed to meet our customers preferences, so reach out now and ask about where you can go in 2022. We’ve even got some brand new vehicles - want to try a Jeep Gladiator on for size? Let us know!

WWW.OFFROAD

D-MONKEYS.DE

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THANK

YOU

TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS

IF YOU TAKE IT IN

TAKE IT OUT Every country throughout Europe and beyond have different laws when it comes to wild camping and driving in remote areas and all of these laws should be respected.

As pressure on our landscapes from recreational use continues to increase it is now as important as ever for us all to abide by the Leave No Place principles. It goes without saying that the vast majority of tourers and campers do respect their environment but unfortunately we will also have a minority who do not and give us all a bad name. So if you take it take it out.

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Featuring: • Over 200 pages of quality content • Read on any device • Interactive videWo and audio • Gear news and review • Camp cooking tips and recipies • Touring routes and travel stories

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FIVE REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE: • Never miss an Issue with notifications for all new Issues • Get our Interim ‘Subscriber only’ Newsletters every month • Automatic entry to any competitions run in the magazine.

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BrandPartners Partners

Thanks to our Brand partners, with whose support we are able to produce the magazine, and thank you to you, our readers for joining us on our adventures. The TURAS team.

The TURAS Charter

T

URAS is the ancient Celtic word for Journey and we think it fits perfectly to describe our overall editorial philosophy. Originally, the Celts spread out across Europe from Central Europe ending up represented in many countries across Europe, and now over two thousand years later, we are looking to travel and traverse Europe again, though with more modern equipment. As keen campers we love nothing more than packing up our 4WD’s and hitting the tracks, in search of those perfect camping locations.

We constantly strive to improve the magazine and to seek out the best and most useful Camping and 4WD products and accessories.

In our free e-magazine we focus on high quality content that includes articles on all things camping, touring, fishing and 4WD adventures. From finding the best 4WD tracks, setting up camp in some of Europe’s most picturesque locations to cooking up some cracking camp cook feasts. This is all about discovering places off the beaten track and enjoying the great outdoors. We tour to the very corners of Europe and beyond, while reviewing and testing the latest top quality camping and 4WD gear.

Our magazine is free to readers, and is supported by our advertising and brand partners, but this does not mean that the magazine is a glorified product catalogue, far from it. We focus on identifying top quality products and produce informative, interactive articles that explain the features and benefits of these products to our readers, and demon- strate how the products can be used to increase the comfort and quality of their camping and touring experiences. We also regularly produce short videos to demonstrate and showcase these products in use by our team.

The magazine invites our readers to become a part of the story and join us on our own adventures as we, use, test and demonstrate these quality products from top brands.